I love an independent coffee shop. Just not here in Qatar.

My own love of specialty coffee started at a cafe called Empty Cup. You’ll be forgiven for not tasting its fine offerings. It was easy to miss this little cafe which was sat on one side of a fro-yo shop in City Centre Mall and bang in the middle of Starbucks and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. To me, it really laid the foundations of independent and specialty cafes in Qatar.

Although the seats were not comfortable and the view was of an 80s ice-skating rink, it was a welcome change to the local coffee scene, which consisted of the big boy coffee chains, who didn’t really seem to think interiors really mattered.

Then along came Meesh Cafe. Although not making any claims to be a specialty coffee shop, it was still independent and served strong decent coffee. It stood out for its fresh interior design which was in in-line with international specialty coffee shops. Its open and inspiring space and good service made it a regular hang-out of mine.

Next to arrive on the scene was Flat White. Based on the name of an elusive Australian invented drink, the cafe upped the specialty coffee game. Its first location was a little strange –  inside a real-estate sales office – yet it was still more popular than Empty cup. If Empty Cup was the first step, Flat White became the top step of the specialty coffee staircase. It popularized the whole idea of specialty cafes in general and can be accredited with being the accelerator for the current age of cafes in Qatar.

While it’s nice to see a rise of independents offering a nice place to hang out. I would like to feel to see an initiative or a change for the better within the coffee culture here.

Do most patrons care about optimum preparation?

Of course not.

Whereas the cafe will make you wait before they perfectly heat the machine up to extract your ordered coffee at the right temperature, customers are least bothered with this optimum preparation – taking 200 photos before they enjoy their lukewarm cup.

Do the new specialty cafes care about coffee culture?

Umm no. Especially when that cup of joe costs you an average of 6.5 USD. Their motto might as well be “peasants cannot be patrons.”

With no fixed supply chain, the coffee beans being used in the cafe tends to be ever-changing. Sometimes going back to a cafe to enjoy the same cup as you’d enjoyed previously isn’t always possible. So loyaly doesn’t seem to be part of their agenda.

No cafe is bringing anything new to the table other than a new name and different interiors. And, it all seems to taste the same apart from those “innovative” inventions like ice-cream sandwich flavour. If not tasting coffee s what you’re after then these cafes are for you.

Surely the baristas are well skilled in latte art?

Yes, they sure are. Although in some places I have encountered hipster service (see Comedians in Cars Drinking Coffee) and a clumsy spoonful of ego. Ouch. Maybe I’ve just been unlucky. Maybe not.

What should change?

Creating a culture that sparks change, not just a camera click.

Specialty cafes should focus on the coffee culture and not on the number of photos that are being shared by people on Instagram. By this, let the focus be on educating the consumer and offering meaningful loyalty programs that work with helping reduce the waste or improve conditions for farmers. For example, Bring Your Own Mug, where the price of the coffee is reduced and you are helping to reduce waste. Or perhaps introduce a suspended coffee (buying one for someone else) to help people who can’t afford a $6.5 dollar coffee.

Price Fixing: Wait. Did you say 6.5 USD for a single coffee?
Some cafe owners say they have to charge this much because the rents are high. Although commercial rents can be high I don’t believe this is the reason why all new cafes offer these extortionate rates. Surely the rent of a shop in Muaither is not as high as the rent of a shop in Tawar Mall? Why is a kiosk charging the same price of a proper store (with much more staff numbers) in a different location?

Until a change happens, you can find me at a Costa near you.